Fantasy Cake

This is a recipe from Lisa Faulkner’s book and it is divine.  Because of the fruit and almond contingent, I reckon it is best described as ‘if you like bakewell tart, you’ll LOVE this.’ Ideally, it should be served warm.  And with 400g of fruit in it, surely a contender for one of your 5-a-day?  It’s not pretty, but it’s beauty lies within…..
Line/grease a 23cm, loose-bottomed tin.  Cream together 175g of unsalted butter and 150g caster sugar.  Then add 150g sifted self-raising flour, 100g ground almonds, 2 eggs, 1 tsp almond extract and mix together well.
Fold in 400g soft fruit (well, keep a bit aside to adorn the top).  I use half/half raspberries and strawberries, but the lovely Lisa recommends you try what you like!  When folded in, spoon into the tin and scatter the leftover fruit on the top.  Bake at 160ºC for about an hour – it depends on your oven.  Mine cooks fast, so the cake is done in 50mins, but the book recommends 1hr – 1hr15mins.
When baked, and be careful not to overcook, carefully turn the cake onto a wire rack to cool (hallelujah for Bake-O-Glide – this is when it comes into its own!).
When the cake is still warm, serve and enjoy.  But watch out!  It’s very moorish….*wipes tell-tale crumbs from mouth*

It’s been a cookin’ Easter!

Well, Easter is just about over and I have not stopped cooking!  In a good way, but non-stop!
Good Friday was with the MiL so I escaped having to do anything very much.  But on Easter Saturday I made fresh tagliatelle, Easter cupcakes, blueberry tart and porcini sauce.  All the aforementioned have been cited on my blog before so I won’t bore you with the details, but it was all go in the kitchen!
On Easter Sunday we said Hallelujah!  To Ms Lisa Faulkner.  I made her roast leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary, her mint sauce, her Nanna’s nut roast and her creme brulee.  All were mighty fine and scoffed with much enthusiasm, although the mint sauce wasn’t very minty…more of a hollandaise, so next time I shall step up the mint!
Before
After

It never gets as much ‘press’ as Christmas but actually, on the cooking front, it is almost as busy really!  A big fat roast, guests to entertain and feed plus egg hunts to organise.

I also broke my Lentian fast of ‘no wine in the week’ with the most gorgeous bottle of white burgundy.  Heaven…

I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend; shame about the weather!